Beast of War is an upcoming WWII survival thriller directed by Kiah Roache-Turner, best known for his horror work on Wyrmwood and Sting. Set in 1942, the film follows a group of young Australian soldiers left adrift in the ocean after their warship is destroyed in a Japanese air attack.
Struggling to stay alive on a lone life raft, the men face a new nightmare when they realize they’re being hunted by a relentless great white shark.
The story takes inspiration from the real-life sinking of the HMAS Armidale. To portray the monstrous predator, Roache-Turner employed both CGI and a half-ton animatronic shark, blending practical effects with digital work to heighten the sense of realism and dread.
The sinking of the HMAS Armidale on December 1, 1942, marked a notable moment in World War II. While evacuating troops from Timor, the Australian corvette was struck and sunk by Japanese aircraft.
The event is particularly remembered for the extraordinary bravery of Ordinary Seaman Edward “Teddy” Sheean. Wounded as the ship went down, he secured himself to an anti-aircraft gun and continued firing at the attacking planes, reportedly taking down at least one before the vessel sank. His heroic actions saved numerous fellow sailors and earned him a posthumous Victoria Cross in 2020.
Of the 149 crew members aboard, 100 perished either in the initial assault or later at sea from exposure, dehydration, and shark attacks.
After premiering at several festivals, including the Melbourne International Film Festival, Beast of War earned praise for its mix of historical drama and creature-feature intensity.
Beast of War will hit U.S. theaters and digital platforms on October 10, 2025, courtesy of Well Go USA.
A band of soldiers stranded in the open ocean must face a heart-pounding battle for survival against the ultimate apex predator.
1942. A warship carries hundreds of Australian soldiers across the Timor Sea to the frontline of WW2. Suddenly, Japanese fighter jets scream out of the sky, and within minutes the ocean becomes a hell of steel, fire, oil and blood.
With the vessel destroyed, a handful of soldiers build a makeshift raft from floating debris as they cling to their lives. Tensions run high between the hot-headed and terrified young men, as they band together in an effort to survive.
But their biggest battle is yet to come. In the dark below, a great white shark hunts in the wreckage and is drawn to the smell of fresh blood in the water. Heroes will emerge and bad blood will rise to the surface, as these soldiers do whatever it takes to survive a war with an apex predator.